Hi, I looking to move into the digital age and was wondering what cameras would work well on a cycling tour. I am looking for something that is small, durable and affordable.
Any info of insights would be helpful.
Thanks
Gordon p

I have the Canon A550. The best thing about this camera is it takes AA batteries. I don't want to be bothered with charging my camera while on tour. It has zoom, a number of people say don't get zoom because it is one more thing to break. I have never had any issues.

I second the recommendation for AA batteries - I'm going to be away from electricity for 5 weeks, so a stash of Lithium non-rechargeables is the best bet, I reckon. They should last for ages, and when they do eventually run out I can use any other AA that I can find.

I bought the Canon A650is, because it seemed to be the best AA camera on the market. I gotta say though, I'm totay disappointed by the performance when using anything other than the 100iso setting. It's appalling! Terrible noise-reduction artefacts.

this camera is the jamhttp://www.broadwayphoto.com/ViewPro...89&l=Pricehead
waterproof up to 30 feet! shock proof up to a 6 foot drop! dust proof! freeze proof!
just stick it in your butt pucket or in the back of your jersey and be ready for any kodak moment on your ride
without fear of damaging your camera. ive put mine through the ringer,, through the rain,, dropped it from my bike.. ive even taken it snorkeling and tubing. no problems. took some good pictures of fish. it even has a wide fov lense and takes great scenery shots.
you can find the older models of this camera for much cheaper too. worth the investment.
research it.. its legit.

Another vote for the Canon A550. It isn't the measure of my SLR, but it cost 150 at walmart, and it seems practrical for touring memory snaps. The video feature is also good for supplimental video: Pics of signs bending over in a head wind add detail to stills, even if the quality isn't wonderful.

I took a Canon S2IS on my year tour and it worked awesome. Used AA batteries & SD cards, took mini-movies (with sound). I had add an add on lens adapter for it, which also protected the zoom mechanism.

If I remember correctly, a nice site to compare camera models using the features you are looking for is:

Thanks for all of the replies and advice! I hoping to go looking for a camera today and to see what is available locally. Next week I will be going on a 2-week canoe trip followed by a 2-week cycling trip and will be taking heaps of pictures.
Thanks,
Gordon

My SO and just did a 12 day tour. We each had a digital camera. Mine was a small, simple Olympus that I've had for a few years that I take on most hiking trips. I paid around $100 for it. He took an $80 (on sale) Kodak camera. Both worked great. (Cheap cameras work just fine, and if something happens to them you aren't out a bundle of money.) It was fun each taking pictures and we have about 400 pics from that trip. Both cameras take AA batteries.

I've got a Canon PowerShot A720 and I'm happy with its performance. It's compact and durable and the cost is around $200. The picture quality is good. The optical zoom is great and the range is the equivalent of a 35-200 lens on a 35 mm camera. (There's also a digital zoom but I have it turned off.) If you want, additional lenses are available. It's got a video feature too. The ISO setting goes up to 1,600, but the best quality is at 400 or below.

After years of owning and recommending Canons, I recently bought a Panasonic DMC-TZ5, based on the review it got at www.dpreview.com. It's smaller than the Canon A-series, larger than the Canon Elph series.

I'm *very* impressed; took about 1,000 photos on vacation (which included lots of outdoor activity, but not biking). I'd recommend you give it a look.

They are consistently highly rated and reasonably priced ($150-350). The A series uses AA batteries, which eliminates the need to carry a dedicated charger. The newer A series use only 2 AAs and weigh in ~200g. Since I also use AA and AAA batteries for tailights, flashlights, headlamps, gps, radio etc and charge them on a single, easy-and-cheap-to-replace-at-any-Xmart charger, I find the choice to use a Canon A series camera simplifies life just a little.

Also, the A series has a little flare on the body for my right hand to grasp, unlike the smaller SD series. I find being able to NOT drop the camera or block the lens, flash or sensors with a fingertip a real plus.

The smaller, more pocketable SD series Canon digicams are generally inferior to the A series photographically, and more expensive. The li-ion battery charger is nearly as large as the camera itself, and the camera and charger together actually weigh as much as the "heavier" A series cameras. And if you leave the charger behind you're SOL.

Canon software is not too bloated and usually installs and works without much fuss.